Tags
2011, Ambient, AOTY, Field Recordings, Folk, Indie, Little Kid, Lo-Fi, Logic Songs
Little Kid (aka Ken Boothby) brings one of the most memorable albums of 2011 direct from his bedroom, using only a 4-track tape recorder. The sheer atmosphere conjured up by him is something to be admired; his vulnerable and shy voice which fit perfectly amidst the lo-fi fuzz and clean guitar (sometimes even inaudible above the guitar), the constant buzz of the 4-track throughout the LP and the field recordings which appear at regular intervals throughout the album. The sentimental feel of this recording and the value of its DIY message is inspiring, the 30 cassette run of handmade covers sold out rapidly, which were designed out of cuttings from a book from “The Salvation Army” about railways, and this reoccurring theme runs alongside the music as I have never been so captivated by the sound of a train as in the final track. Religious and Christian references are abundant in the lyrics, but one should not be put off by this simply for its values, in the song “Let There Be Light”, Boothby seems to explain that he has been wounded on account his faith, and the rest of the record follows on a similar sombre note – especially “Bearably Sad”. Captivatingly emotional from start to finish, and it proclaims that musical genius can come out of nowhere.
Free from his bandcamp, I could not recommend this more highly to all fans of music.